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Blogsy Review

Posted by Lisa Caplan on November 3rd, 2011
iPad App - Designed for iPad

Developer: Fomola
Price: $4.99
Version: 2.4.2
App Reviewed on: iPad 2

iPad Integration Rating: starstarstarstarstar
User Interface Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarstar

[rating:overall]

Since this revue of a Blogsy is going to be posted to a blog, it seemed logical that the best way to try it out would be to create the review right in Fomola’s blogging app. This app allows users to create posts for several popular hosting sites like WordPress, Blogger and Posterous from start to finish on the iPad. Blogsy not only has a visual as well as HTML editor, it allows for drag and drop placement of pictures and videos. The app integrates with Flickr, Picasa, YouTube and Google's image search along with having access to the iPad photo library allowing users to access both images and videos with simple and intuitive moves.

Setting up Blogsy with the blog hosting site is quick and painless as are the basic functions, but the app comes complete with FAQs, text instructions and a series of video guides to help any level of blogger get going. Blogsy has a "write" side which is, of course where users enter text and code, and a "rich" side where the drag and drop formatting is done.

Adding titles, tags and categories is a breeze; Blogsy searches the blog for existing categories allowing a user to select from them, and all previously used tags are also available, or new ones can be entered in the set up panel. This is the same place where authors can set publishing time and manage other logistics.

The app makes linking easier than it is on a computer. Simply select the words to be linked and enter the URL manually or open a web browser to just drag and drop the information into place.

Blogsy integrates with all the services mentioned above, and once an image is selected it can be placed, resized and aligned on the "rich" side of the editor. Text formatting is simple and familiar, similar to the web based editors out there.

The one issue I can report is that switching between the two editors is easy but is required so often in a graphics rich document that it can become tiresome. Beyond that, creating this post has been just as effortless as creating it on my Mac and uploading it directly.

Posts can be saved as drafts, so those new to Blogsy can test before committing the post to the internet's perma-memory. As I expected, my blog's particular third-party template could not be accommodated using the drag and drop features. I am sure adding the appropriate instructions would not prove overly difficult. I will need to do a little formatting before I publish this post, but what you are seeing is very close to what I made right from my iPad. For those looking for a truly mobile and truly intuitive blogging solution on iPad look no further. Blogsy is a winner.

Favorite Four: Apps for Bloggers

Posted by Lisa Caplan on October 27th, 2011

Blogging. Everyone is doing it. It's become simple for anyone, even with no coding or web design skills, to sign up for a free home on the internet and start sharing the ideas and pictures. Whether you host a casual photoblog on Tumblr or Flicker or have a full-functioning, say, app review site, there is a bit more to blogging than just jotting down some thoughts. The text needs to be formatted, the photos and videos have to be placed, and if all goes well, traffic needs to be managed. This week we look at four apps that take the blogging experience mobile. If we missed your favourite be sure to leave us a comment below.


WordPress

WordPress has become one of, if not the, largest free and paid blog hosting sites around. WordPress, the app, allows owners with blogs hosted by them to create posts with a fairly full-featured visual editor or work with HMTL to post on the go. The app allows bloggers to manage comments, add photos and even check stats.

BlogPress

Perhaps the most popular app for blogging, BlogPress has video and multi-photo uploading along with text or simple HTML input. It including support for tags and categories and allows for a fair amount of layout ontrol. The app lets bloggers upload to a vast number of blog hosting sites including Blogster, WordPress, Tumblr, Moveable Type, MSN Live Spaces, Live`journal, Drupal, Joomia, Sqaurespace, My Opera and has Facebook and Twitter integration built in.


Blogsy

Blogsy is iPad only because it uses the full screen to let bloggers really gain control over blog layout on the go. The drap and dop features provides a visual editing experience unlike others on this list since it takes full advantage of the multitouch screen. HTML is supported as well of course, but note -Blogsy is not for post creation. Blogsy can create or edit existing posts. The app integrates with WordPress, Blogger. Posterous, Flickr, Picassa and YouTube.
Note: At first posting it was erroneously reported that Blogsy can not create new posts. This error has been corrected.

Analytics Pro

Once you have a blog, you’ll want to see how it’s doing. Bloggers need to keep track of how many visits they get, which of their posts are doing well and how the ads on their site are performing. The industry standard for checking stats is Google Analytics and Analytics Pro gives bloggers or any site owners access to all the statistical information Google has in an easy to read and easy to interpret iOS-friendly format.